Shocking Food Autopsies: Your Favorite "Healthy" Foods, Exposed!

Everyone knows the formula for weight loss: Eat healthier, get exercise. So why do so many people need help with it? As I point out in my new book, Eat to Lose, Eat to Win, when you put many “healthy” foods under a nutritional magnifying glass, you see that a lot of them actually sabotage your diet. That’s why I started doing “food autopsy” analyses—I break down meals to see what’s really in them. The first time I did one, I was a researcher at Cedars-Sinai medical center in Los Angeles, and some doctors asked me to check their lunches. When I told them they were downing tons of calories and carbs disguised as healthy foods, they looked as if I’d knocked the trays right out of their hands! So what are you really eating? Check out these eye-popping pictures—and learn to do better.

Food Autopsy #1: Sushi Lunch

The breakdown: Two sushi rolls may seem like the perfect light lunch. It’s fish, right? But what most women don’t know is that a typical California roll contains the carb equivalent of two and a half to four slices of bread—that’s like eating two sandwiches filled with fake crab, avocado, and a teeny bit of veggies. Add a spicy tuna roll (another common choice) and you’re eating another mayo-laden tuna sammy. At 640 calories, these rolls aren’t terrible. But all those simple carbs are crowding out the protein and veggies.

What to eat instead: Order brown rice instead of white for more fiber, skip the mayo, and ask for your roll “easy on the rice”—or get a hand roll and hold the rice altogether. Then add a salad. You’ll get more omega-3s and cancer-fighting antioxidants.

The breakdown: A friend often picks up a spinach wrap, thinking it’s better than a sandwich: The tortilla’s thinner than bread—plus, it’s got some spinach, right? Think again. When I took a closer look, the only greenery in her tortilla was spinach powder. It was essentially colored white bread with artificial flavors. What’s more, it had nearly as many calories as three slices of bread—and that’s before I looked at what was inside the wrap. Her meal: 830 calories!

What to eat instead: Rather than put carbs or protein at the center of your meal, flip it and make veggies the focus of your soup and salad. (I call this my Flip-It Method.) Then add lean protein, a touch of healthy fat, and a serving of complex carbs. You’ll get more food and all the stuff you crave.

The breakdown: Dieters think all snacks are The Enemy. The truth is, you can’t afford not to snack. If you don’t, you’ll get too hungry and go overboard at mealtime to the tune of 300 to 400 extra calories. But this snack pack, a common choice, will never hold you over until dinner, plus it delivers a ton of salt, corn syrup, and unhealthy oils. And an intensely sweet drink—even if it’s diet—only triggers sugar cravings; studies have proved it!

What to eat instead: A real snack—between 150 and 175 calories, with a satisfying combo of protein, fiber, and some good fat—will tide you over till dinner. So what to eat? You can do the carrots-and-hummus thing, but this homemade pizza clocks in at just 155 calories too, thanks to its thin crust.